Nobody Knows is the latest drama by acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Hirokazu Kore-eda (After Life), whose first feature film, 1995’s Maborosi, won several awards internationally, including the Best Director Award at the Venice Film Festival.

At the core of Nobody Knows is a family of five: four children who live with their mother in a Tokyo apartment. They are a happy, united family despite the fact that each of the children has a different father. Making their lives even more extraordinary is the fact that they have never been to school; their mother has little money and has kept the very existence of her children a secret from her landlord. They continue in this way until one day, the children’s mother disappears; she leaves a note indicating that her twelve-year-old son should take on the task of caring for the others. It is now up to the five little ones look out for each other once they find themselves in a situation few if any have experienced.

Not unlike filmmakers John Cassavetes (A Woman Under the Influence) and Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies), Kore-eda relishes in telling his stories using improvised performances and a very natural cinematic style, which gives an almost documentary feel to his work. The result is kinetic, highly expressive coming-of-age film that provides a rewarding glimpse into one of the most vibrant cities in the East.